The Sappington House and gardens appear as they did nearly 200 years ago. Built with slave labor, it is thought to be the oldest brick home in St. Louis County.

The grounds around the Sappington House are beautiful. There is a pond with a fountain and a restaurant called The Barn. We came back to eat at The Barn on Day 2 (below) and it was amazing! I can't wait to come back - it's very kid-friendly and they serve breakfast all day!

In 2002, Amtrak was on the verge of closing the Kirkwood Train Station. The City of Kirkwood negotiated with Amtrak to purchase and staff the station and has done so since April 2003. The City then issued a call for volunteers, and nearly 200 people responded.

Here are some upcoming events in downtown Kirkwood that you may be interested in:

Halloween WalkThursday, October 30 @ 5-7pmPut on your costume, grab your bag and head to Downtown Kirkwood for trick-or treating! Participating Kirkwood businesses will be handing out treats from 5-7 p.m. Don't forget to stop by Greentree Community Church office on West Monroe for its annual Harvest Party during this time.Holiday WalkSaturday, November 22 Spend the day strolling through Kirkwood, enjoying free refreshments and entertainment. Take photos with Santa and hear stories from Mrs. Claus. Take advantage of specials in Kirkwood shops and restaurants. Santa will arrive at 9:30 a.m. at Kirkwood Train Station.Photos With SantaDecember 4th and 11th from 5-7 pm and December 12th from 11am - 1pmSanta will be at the historic Kirkwood Train Station to meet you! Bring your own camera to take a free photo with Santa. On December 11, one of Santa's reindeer will be there too!Downtown Kirkwood Winter Fireworks FestivalSaturday, December 27Entertainment at Station Plaza begins at 5 p.m.Fireworks display at 6:30 p.m. from Kirkwood City Hall, located at 139 S. Kirkwood Road.

DAY 2

I decided to buy a membership to the Magic House when they had their annual 50% off membership deal. I never take the girls because it's a lot of money for a family of 5 to go just once. Now I feel like I can go whenever and stay for just an hour or all day! And the best part is my membership came with 10 free passes for guests so I got to bring my mom and two nieces with us to the Magic House!

The Magic House is celebrating it's 35th birthday this year!

We worked up an appetite playing around so we headed over to The Barn. Ava really enjoyed her dessert!

The Magic House offers Free Family Nights on select nights. Click here for more info. And to see a list of Special Events at the Magic House (for members and non-members), click here.PS - If you want to see some of our other STL 250 cake quests, click here.